For me it's the idea of having sunscreen and makeup in one product. I know I have to wear sunscreen, but my face hates it, and my skin especially hates layers of product. Plus, I'm not that into makeup. Sunscreens are usually so greasy, or they sting my eyes, or cause cysts...yuck. But I live in AZ and I'm getting old. I'll fight sun damage and aging tooth and nail!

I've tried Miracle Skin Transformer (greasy, rubs off on everything), Too Faced BB Cream (greasier...makes me look like I haven't washed in a year), Garnier (absolutely a nightmare...full of alcohol and looked like a mask), and a few others. Most of them are clearly made to give skin a white cast, so they look gray and creepy on me.

But - there is one I've been using for a couple of months and I'm pleased with it. It's called Boscia BB Cream. It's super easy. I slap it on in the mornings and I don't have to worry about how I blend it or anything. I don't even have to look in the mirror when rubbing it on. It's got SPF 27, and it kind of "color matches" to my medium olive skin. It gets lighter throughout the day, though, so by evening if I don't touch up with bronzer or something I look like a mime. Aside from that, it has good coverage for covering my dark spots, and it looks as natural as a product like this can look. It shows up white in photos, but for easy, quick day-wear it's really a great product.

I don't know what the big flap is, and I have not tried any. You really couldn't pay me to use one of those pore cloggers on my very tempermental acne-prone skin. I have found that products that try to do too many tasks at once...usually fail to do any of them well.

I do not wear sunscreen or moisturizer on a daily basis. They ALL break me out. Plus, it's a big myth that the sunscreen you apply in the morning is doing anything for you in the afternoon. It just doesn't last that long. For days that I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the sun, I rely on a dedicated sunscreen that I re-apply frequently. For daily incidental protection, though, I rely on shade and mineral makeup (which contains a natural physical sunscreen that my skin tolerates very well).

Well from my research, american beauty balms (bb creams) are generally glorified tinted moisturizers. The Asian bb creams (which is we're they originated) are a completely different product. Asian bb creams are more like foundations with skin care benefits. They offer heavier coverage like a medium coverage foundation. The problem with them is that because of all the stuff in them, it's hard to get the pigmentation dark enough to really sell here in the US.

The bb creams sold in the US are much thinner consistency and have the coverage of a light tinted moisturizer. A true BB cream is supposed to be an all in one product...concealer, SPF, foundation, and antioxidants. US bb creams clearly miss the mark on this one.

I've only found 2 bb creams even close enough to use on my skin...maybelline's bb cream in dark and smashbox bb cream. I still use the maybelline bb cream...mostly in the summer and weekends when I only need light coverage because it provides almost no coverage.

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Well from my research, american beauty balms (bb creams) are generally glorified tinted moisturizers. The Asian bb creams (which is we're they originated) are a completely different product. Asian bb creams are more like foundations with skin care benefits. They offer heavier coverage like a medium coverage foundation. The problem with them is that because of all the stuff in them, it's hard to get the pigmentation dark enough to really sell here in the US.

The bb creams sold in the US are much thinner consistency and have the coverage of a light tinted moisturizer. A true BB cream is supposed to be an all in one product...concealer, SPF, foundation, and antioxidants. US bb creams clearly miss the mark on this one.

I've only found 2 bb creams even close enough to use on my skin...maybelline's bb cream in dark and smashbox bb cream. I still use the maybelline bb cream...mostly in the summer and weekends when I only need light coverage because it provides almost no coverage.

Originally Posted by Nappy_curly_crown

This is what I've heard as well-US fancy tinted moisturizer, Asian actual all in one product and treatment. I would love to try an Asian BB cream because I love the idea of an all in one product that is good for my skin, but I know I'll never find one that matches.

If you don't match Asian BB cream shades, I'd say pass on the trend and make your own tinted moisturizer . It's super easy, only adds a few minutes to your morning routine and you get more bang for your buck since the drugstore BB creams cost more than their foundations for less product.

I confess I caved and ordered Oriental Gold from Skin79. I dont think it is necessarily a tinted moisturizer; I do like it a lot, and this is coming from someone who could not find a foundation she really loved. When I apply it, it goes on thick, but my skin absorbes it and I get a really nice finish. I use my check stain, and then a light dusting of powder. I dont know if I will love this routine in the hot weather, but it is nice for now. The color kind of blends into my skin.

Well from my research, american beauty balms (bb creams) are generally glorified tinted moisturizers. The Asian bb creams (which is we're they originated) are a completely different product. Asian bb creams are more like foundations with skin care benefits. They offer heavier coverage like a medium coverage foundation. The problem with them is that because of all the stuff in them, it's hard to get the pigmentation dark enough to really sell here in the US.

The bb creams sold in the US are much thinner consistency and have the coverage of a light tinted moisturizer. A true BB cream is supposed to be an all in one product...concealer, SPF, foundation, and antioxidants. US bb creams clearly miss the mark on this one.

I've only found 2 bb creams even close enough to use on my skin...maybelline's bb cream in dark and smashbox bb cream. I still use the maybelline bb cream...mostly in the summer and weekends when I only need light coverage because it provides almost no coverage.

Originally Posted by Nappy_curly_crown

This is what I've heard as well-US fancy tinted moisturizer, Asian actual all in one product and treatment. I would love to try an Asian BB cream because I love the idea of an all in one product that is good for my skin, but I know I'll never find one that matches.

If you don't match Asian BB cream shades, I'd say pass on the trend and make your own tinted moisturizer . It's super easy, only adds a few minutes to your morning routine and you get more bang for your buck since the drugstore BB creams cost more than their foundations for less product.

Originally Posted by Alice_42

From what I've experienced, this is pretty accurate. For example, I use a Japanese BB Cream, Boscia, which has all kinds of skin care ingredients in it, as well as Arbutin for skin lightening. It has a strange texture when first applied, but, believe me, it doesn't budge. It seems to "become one" with my skin (if that makes any sense). Somehow it has really good coverage, especially over my pores, but it's not "mask-like" in the least.

Similar American made products I've purchased in the past are Miracle Skin Transformer in Medium Tan, and Too Faced Beauty Balm. With MST, I like the color a lot, but it absolutely sits on top of my skin, and it never dries. It rubs off on everything, and if it's not rubbed off, it disappears in about two hours anyways. I tried setting it with powder, but it became a cakey mess. Plus one of the reasons I wanted a "bb" cream was so I wouldn't have to layer makeup on my face.

At some point, I also bought Too Faced "Beauty Balm". I'd never used tinted moisturizer, because I'm pretty oily, but I'm betting that Too Faced Beauty Balm is basically a "tinted moisturizer". It's greasy, somewhat heavy, shiny, and it adds color instead of blending.

The Boscia BB Cream really shouldn't be compared to the two product I've just mentioned, because it functions so differently. Fortunately for me, I can pull off the color of this one.

I've been wanted to try that Skin79, but I don't know where to find a reputable seller in the US. Myrna, do you think the Skin79 would work on medium/olive skin? Does it do the "self-matching" thing?

I've been using L'Oreal's Magic BB Cream and I love it. I hate regular foundations (too heavy, usually, and I hate having to layer with powder to set it; also, I hate the heavier coverage - I have a natural rosy flush that foundation smothers, which necessitates wearing blush, and I usually do not want to do a full face). I hate tinted moisturizers because they tend to have a tacky/dewy finish that rubs off on everything.

The BB cream that I use is a very thin formula that dries to a matte, velvety finish. It blurs any imperfections (rather than smothering them), lets my natural flush on my cheeks show through, and tones down but does not erase my freckles. I don't want to look like I'm wearing a mask, but I do want to look more "even," in terms of the reddish areas around my nose and the darker circles under my eyes, etc. I have to use very little to no concealer if I use my BB cream, and it feels like I have nothing on.

The BB cream is something I can put on in two seconds flat with no other makeup and look better without much effort at all. I get compliments on my skin and on just generally looking "awake" just using one product with no other makeup on my face.

The L'Oreal sounds like something I'd really like, though. I may give it a try for makeup when I know I won't have any sun exposure. A "thin matte velvety" finish is exactly what I've been looking for, and, so far, that description doesn't apply to any of the BB's I've tried!

The L'Oreal sounds like something I'd really like, though. I may give it a try for makeup when I know I won't have any sun exposure. A "thin matte velvety" finish is exactly what I've been looking for, and, so far, that description doesn't apply to any of the BB's I've tried!

Originally Posted by gardencurls

Be careful to get the "Magic" version in the white tube, not the anti-aging one in the metallic tube. I've heard the latter is heavy and greasy (as well as nearly identical to the much cheaper Garnier version - they have the same parent company). If you want to try the metallic tube L'Oreal, you're better off trying the Garnier.

Sounds like the emperor's new clothes to me, although I was tempted to try a drugstore brand. Then I remembered why I switched to a mineral foundation in the first place -- to get the coverage I wanted plus a touch of sun protection, without the clogged pores and acne cysts.

Sounds like the emperor's new clothes to me, although I was tempted to try a drugstore brand. Then I remembered why I switched to a mineral foundation in the first place -- to get the coverage I wanted plus a touch of sun protection, without the clogged pores and acne cysts.

Originally Posted by hmkenny

Do you know of any mineral foundation with more than SPF 15? Also, mineral powders always make my skin itch and they look shiny. Do you have any expert "tips"? I'd love to use just a powder, because I have oily skin, but I need that SPF more than anything...

Sounds like the emperor's new clothes to me, although I was tempted to try a drugstore brand. Then I remembered why I switched to a mineral foundation in the first place -- to get the coverage I wanted plus a touch of sun protection, without the clogged pores and acne cysts.

Originally Posted by hmkenny

Do you know of any mineral foundation with more than SPF 15? Also, mineral powders always make my skin itch and they look shiny. Do you have any expert "tips"? I'd love to use just a powder, because I have oily skin, but I need that SPF more than anything...

Thanks!

Originally Posted by gardencurls

I think the Bare Minerals compact is SPF 20. For extra SPF, I use a gel sunblock under my mineral make up or powder make up instead of a primer. I prefer a gel formula because they don't make me as greasy as traditional sunblock, but they can cost more. I've been using SolBar's in SPF 30 but I got a sample of CoTZ's Face Natural Skin Tone Sunblock in SPF 40 from Ulta and I think I might be in love. It feels more like a primer than a sunblock and it takes make up SO WELL. Nothing budged once I layered over it.